Letter from Salvador E. Luria to Joshua Lederberg

Letter from Salvador E. Luria to Joshua Lederberg

Contributor(s):
Lederberg, Joshua
Luria, S. E. (Salvador Edward), 1912-1991
Publication:
Produced: 24 February 1947
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
World War II
Biological Warfare
Politics
Chemical Warfare
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Letters (correspondence)
Abstract:
During World War II, a number of biologists and chemists, including Heidelberger, had worked on secret government and military research projects intended to develop vaccines and antidotes against microorganisms and toxins that were potential biological and chemical warfare agents, such as anthrax and, in Heidelberger's case, ricin. In order to develop such vaccines and antidotes, these scientists first had to purify the substances under study, thereby making them more potent. Several of the scientists involved, including Luria and Heidelberger, were troubled by this blurring between offensive and defensive biological and chemical weapons research. After the war, they campaigned for a ban on secret research of this kind.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
1 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584940X195 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
DHBBMP
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584940X195
Archival Collection:
The Michael Heidelberger Papers (Profiles in Science)